In federal suit, publisher calls Amazon 'predatory' and a 'monopolist'

In a Justice Department lawsuit aimed at book publishers Penguin Group USA and Macmillan, which are accused of colluding with Apple Inc. to fix the price of e-books, Penguin turns the tables and accuses Amazon.com Inc. of "predatory" behavior and being a "monopolist."

The New York Times reports that in a response to the federal lawsuit filed in United States District Court in New York, Penguin said that it was Amazon, not Penguin, that was engaging in an anticompetitive manner. The Justice Department contends Apple and the publishers colluded to raise prices in early 2010 when the iPad was introduced.

Three other publishers — HarperCollins Publishers Inc., Simon & Schuster Inc. and Hachette Book Group — previously settled federal charges with the government.